[eastontl@aol.com]

i have a 91 ranger and i want to put a 351 or 302 in and i dont know what kind rearend i have can anyone tell me what to look for? it is posi i do know that much. how do you tell a ford 9in from any other

[TTFiveOhRanger]

If your lucky it came with an 8.8" rear end.. There actually decently strong. if your just putting a mild street v8 in it should be fine. Will handle 300 hp easy.. then the 28 spline axles and differential can be a problem if you gonna go nutz on power.. Some F150's have came with 8.8 rears in them. Hmm you can tell from the rear cover.. looking at the back cover it will mostly rounded out on the left area where it comes out in a semi circle.. the othe axle that could be in you ranger I think is a 7.5" rear end.. It will be more rectangular looking with a distinct rectangular shape to the semicircle part sticking out on the cover.. the 7.5 will only handle about 200 hp and a 5.0 or 5.8 would tear it to shreads with a mild build.. also the sides of a 7.5 cover are perfectly rounded VS. a 8.8 has a straight part on the sides.. almost octagon looking cover outline with the 8.8.. altho the ranger 8.8 might be different from the mustang 8.8.. you might have to upgrade the rear end a bit.. mine is.. I have an 8.8 rear in my ranger with about 300 horse 302 in it.. it took all the beaten I could apply with a 5spd and a good clutch + 11 inch wide tread BFG t/a's

[TTFiveOhRanger]

well many rangers came with limited slip~prolly the correct term instead of posi.. The differential in rangers might be a weakpoint.. mine has an aftermarket locker in it.. and I will again mention the beating it has handled.. my truck would start out in 3rd with out much trouble when I wasn;t paying much attention... thats alot of torque...

[eastontl@aol.com]

thanks for all that info but still kind of dont know what rearend i have.if i take a pic of it and send it to you is there any way you could tell me?

[jimfulco]

#3 is an 8.8", #4 is a 7.5". Notice the difference in the sides of the cover. One is curved, one has a straight area.

[pmeisel]

Originally Posted by eastontl@aol.com

thanks for all that info but still kind of dont know what rearend i have.if i take a pic of it and send it to you is there any way you could tell me?

There is usually a tag on the back with some stamped letters and numbers, the code will tell you what you have. Get a flashlight, a rag, and some cleaner -- and something to write with -- and check it out, then come post it here. The Ford guys will be able to tell you what it is. If its an 8.8 you will be happy, if its a 7.5 you want to go to the junkyard and find an 8.8 from a Ranger or Explorer.

[chieftain]

On that tag there are two rows of letters, the bottom row is the gear ratio than what size ring gear. for example 3 23 7.5, if it was limited slip it would read 3L23 7.5 or 8.8 .